What YOU can do

Get active, get writing

Write to the Government to support the continued suspension of neonicotinoid pesticides

Neonicotinoid pesticides have been linked to the massive declines in Bees and pollinators across the world. In 2013, the European Commission introduced temporary restrictions on the use of three neonicotinoids - clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiomethoxan - banning their use on crops that are attractive to bees for a period of two years

The UK government attempted to block the ban and has - in the face of intense lobbying from agribusiness and pestcide companies - approved derogations to allowing the use of some of the pesticides in certain areas. This lobbying is likely to increase throughout 2015 as the ban comes up for review and the EC decides whether to continue it.

It is important that our politicians understand that UK citizens think this is an important issue and support the ban to protect our pollinators.

Please write or email the Defra Minister Liz Truss and your own MP urging them to retain the Commission restrictions after 2015

Mobilise in your local community

You can make a real difference for bees and other pollinator species by taking positive action in and around your own home and in your local community. Some very small simple actions could really help to make a difference. The following are a few suggestions for practical and effective things that you can do. We are sure there are other things that you can think of, if you do please don't be shy, we want to hear about them and add them to the suggestions here.

Don't use products that contain neonicotinoids in your home and garden. There is a list of all the products containing neonicotinoids that are currently availble in the UK on the Pesticide Action Network UK website

Plant bee friendly plants in your garden. More information on this is available at the Bee Guardian website

Influence the retailers

We are calling for a ban on the sale of home and garden products that contain neonicotinoids - we believe that there is simply no need for them whatsoever. A number of large retailers have voluntarily taken such products off their shelves following concerns about the effect they are having on pollinators. We want to see others follow suit. If your garden centre is selling products containing neonicotinoids ask them to stop. A full list of which products contain neonicotinoids is available here.

Another key audience we are trying to influence to make positive change is the retailers that supply our food. Due to their position and influence with government any positive actions that they take in reducing pesticides either being used or being sold could have immense knock on effects with our decision makers. And, of course, retailers are influenced by what their customers tell them. So either write to them and tell them what you want or vote with your feet.

In the first instance we would like to see all UK food retailers taking action to remove the use of neonicotinoid and other bee toxic pesticides from use in their global supply chains. Some UK supermarkets are taking a pro-active approach to reducing their use of pesticides and others are doing far less. PAN UK published a report in November 2011 on what supermarkets are doing on pesticides, including actions on bees, which is available to read here: http://www.pan-uk.org/supermarkets/2011-supermarket-comparison

We would also like to see supermarkets and other retailers such as B&Q and Homebase stop selling bee-toxic home and garden pesticides. We believe that these products are unnecessary and the pests that they are designed to combat can be dealt with in other non-toxic ways. Again we urge you to write to them and tell them what you think.